This programme draws on the Department of Politics' recognised expertise in international institutions and normative political theory.
It offers a thorough academic analysis of one of the most salient and pressing issues in the contemporary world: the place of individual human rights in a system of international relations in which states' rights have traditionally been paramount. The degree is genuinely interdisciplinary in content and structure, and is designed to ensure that you encounter both legal and political perspectives. However, it also accommodates the individual preferences of students to focus on one domain more than the other.
You will benefit from the course offerings of the department's highly successful one-year taught Masters in International Politics, and the abundant postgraduate teaching offered by the University's School of Law on topics including international law and human rights, globalisation, and international economic, environmental and criminal law.
Content
Three compulsory courses
* Human rights and global politics (Politics)
* Fundamentals of international law (Law)
* Qualitative or quantitative methods.
Plus one from either
* Challenges in international politics (Politics)
* International theory (Politics).
Two choices from a range of specialist courses that normally include:
Politics options
* Contemporary Chinese politics
* Democratisation in Central and Eastern Europe
* EU in international politics and development
* The foreign policy of the United States
* Freedom of expression
* Gender, rights and international law
* The internet and civil society
* The political economy of Greater China
* Political legitimacy: contemporary perspectives
* The politics of gender in development
* Social justice.
Law options
* United Nations law
* Globalisation, law and human rights.
Development studies options
* Development policy
* Growth, trade and economic development
* Poverty: concepts, analysis and policies
* Aid and development.